Zhou Hao held Yezi's hand and asked with a smile, "Yezi, how much do you know about this stronghold?"
"Very well, because I've lived here since I was little." Yezi smiled with narrowed eyes.
You're still a child yourself, Zhou Hao grumbled inwardly, then smiled and said, "Then can you tell me about Shilpo Mountain Stronghold?"
Yezi revealed an innocent smile and nodded. "Of course."
Zhou Hao smiled faintly and listened as Yezi told him about the history of Shilpo Mountain Stronghold.
After learning more, Zhou Hao found out that Yezi had been an abandoned infant picked up by Shi Po. Yezi had grown up in Shilpo Mountain Stronghold ever since, so when Shi Po died, Yezi had actually been the most heartbroken. Shi Po had been Yezi's closest family.
Fifteen years ago, bandits ran rampant throughout this region. Back then, Shi Po had brought two brothers with him to recruit men and buy horses, hoping to put down roots somewhere nearby.
At the time, Shi Po had already reached the Mystic Body Fifth Level, with only his right limb left untrained. His cultivation had been considered among the very best then, so many people had been willing to follow him.
But after Shi Po established the stronghold, he did not rob passersby like other bandits. Instead, he changed his way of doing things, escorting travelers and charging fees for it.
Naturally, this encroached upon the interests of others. However, Shilpo Mountain Stronghold had been extremely powerful at the time. If any of those bandit strongholds had been singled out, not one would have been confident of defeating Shilpo Mountain Stronghold.
Thus, the other strongholds later joined forces, intending to deal with Shilpo Mountain Stronghold.
You hurt our interests, huh? Then I'll make sure you die.
Driven by that mindset, those bandits surrounded Shilpo Mountain Stronghold from all sides.
A great battle was on the verge of breaking out. Shi Po was valiant and skilled in battle. Besieged by several Mystic Body Realm cultivators, he locked onto one of them and pounded him into a pile of bloody pulp.
After a fierce battle, those disunited strongholds were still nothing more than loose sand gathered in one heap. No one wanted to exert the most effort, and no one wanted to charge at the very front. Such an alliance was clearly doomed to accomplish nothing.
In the end, Shi Po broke through during the battle and advanced to the Mysterious Body Sixth Level. At the cost of severe injuries, he killed three Mystic Body Second Level cultivators and severely wounded two Mystic Body Fourth Level cultivators.
That battle established Shilpo Mountain Stronghold's reputation. Every stronghold suffered grievous losses, and from then on, those strongholds could no longer hold on. With Shilpo Mountain Stronghold protecting travelers on the road, they could not rob anyone at all.
In the end, everyone scattered. From then on, Shilpo Mountain Stronghold was the sole dominant force in the region. As for Tiger Fiend Stockade, it was only established later.
However, that great battle left Shi Po with a lingering affliction, and he was never able to break through the Mystic Body Realm.
Afterward, under his leadership, Shilpo Mountain Stronghold steadily developed into what it was today.
After hearing this, Zhou Hao nodded and praised, "This Shi Po was indeed quite impressive."
His strength was a little low, though. But the strength of people who became bandits was generally not high, and their talent probably wasn't much either. Otherwise, any random job would have had better prospects than being a bandit.
Of course, it would be different for the kind of bandits who specifically ambushed and killed experts for their wealth. Those people dealt in big business.
Hearing Zhou Hao praise Shi Po, Yezi immediately smiled and nodded heavily. "Mm, Uncle Shi Po was a good person."
Zhou Hao smiled, patted Yezi's head, and asked, "Do you know much about the outside world?"
Yezi froze for a moment before shaking her head. "I've never gone outside!"
Zhou Hao nodded faintly. That answer did not surprise him. This place looked rather remote, and there was not much to see outside anyway.
If not for the fairly passable main road here, bandits probably would not have appeared in this place.
Those who usually traveled this road were small merchants and passersby. Their common trait was that they were weak, yet had no choice but to do business. After all, they had to earn a living.
That made them easy targets for bandits. But with Shilpo Mountain Stronghold stationed here, they only had to pay a small fee to travel this entire road in peace. It was already a fairly good outcome.
Zhou Hao looked around and smiled at Yezi. "How about showing me around the stronghold?"
"Sure!" Yezi said with a beaming smile.
Zhou Hao smiled. "Then let's go!"
Ice and Snow Divine Realm
"Your Majesty, why do you suddenly need so many books?" The hunched old woman of the Library Pavilion asked.
He was Old Ke, the keeper who guarded the Library Pavilion.
Murong flipped through a book and chuckled. "Someone needs them."
Old Ke nodded and did not ask further. Instead, he asked, "Would you like me to make a batch of Jade Slips? That would be more convenient."
"There's no need to trouble yourself. Physical books are fine. I can read them whenever I have time; they're the best choice for cultivating one's temperament." Murong closed the book and waved her jade-like hand. All twenty-three books vanished.
Leaning on his cane, Old Ke walked over to Murong, rubbed her head, and sighed with a warm smile, "That little girl from back then has grown so much. If I could, I truly wish I could trade the rest of my life for you to keep living."
Murong's hand trembled slightly. She opened her arms and embraced Old Ke, burying her head against his neck. After a moment of silence, she chuckled. "Just as you always said: take life and death lightly, and leave this world without regrets."
"Easy to say, but how could it be so easy to do?" Old Ke sighed and shook his head.
Murong smiled, released Old Ke, and stopped dwelling on the subject. Instead, she asked curiously, "Old Ke, do you have a Dao companion?"
Old Ke paused and looked at Murong in confusion. "Why are you suddenly asking this?"
He suddenly had a flash of insight. A glint of sharp light flashed through his clouded eyes as he looked at Murong excitedly. "Do you have someone now?"
Murong raised her head and thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded gently. "I suppose so."
"Where is he from? How is his cultivation? Does he treat you well? What is his background? When will you bring him—" Old Ke asked excitedly.
"Stop, stop." Murong hurriedly interrupted him. "Let's talk about it later. Things still aren't very clear right now."
Old Ke chuckled. "Alright, alright, alright. I won't ask. I understand."
Murong had no idea what he understood, but she pulled the topic back and asked curiously, "Do you have a Dao companion?"
"Ah..." Old Ke let out a faint sigh and shook his head. "I liked someone once, but I never confessed. I gave up that relationship for cultivation. Looking back now, it does feel a little regrettable."
Murong raised her brows. So Old Ke had no experience with romance either. She had originally wanted to ask him for advice, but it seemed there was no need now.
After thinking for a moment, she smiled and asked, "Should I find you a grandfather to keep you company?"
Old Ke rolled his eyes at her. "At my age, still doing this sort of thing? Aren't you ashamed?"
Murong smiled. "What's wrong with that? There's no age limit on pursuing love."
Song Tianling had told her that, and now she repeated it to Old Ke.
Old Ke froze upon hearing it, staring at Murong in astonishment. Then he let out a snort of laughter.
"Sure enough, once you have someone, even Your Majesty, who has always been slow to catch on, has caught on. Feelings truly are one of the world's most wondrous things."
Murong froze slightly, then quickly understood. But those words just now had not been hers.
Still, she said nothing about it. Instead, she bade farewell, "Old Ke, I'll be leaving first. You should get some rest."
"Go on." Old Ke waved his hand.
The next moment, Murong's figure disappeared.
Old Ke looked at the empty space before him, sorrow flashing through his eyes. Only after a long while did he let out a heavy sigh.
"Ah..."
The sigh lingered within the Library Pavilion for a long time before finally fading into nothingness...
Before you continue